BLE 2013: Warner Bros and NBA team up for Looney Tunes initiative

Warner Bros. Consumer Products EMEA has agreed a multi-year partnership with the National Basketball Association for a range of products, events and campaigns featuring the Looney Tunes characters.

The deal will see events and products across the EMEA region and will utilise the Jr. NBA. Jr. WNBA and Looney Tunes Active! brands to boost interest and participation in basketball in children aged four to 12.

Products including apparel, accessories, toys, games and consumables will kit out Looney Tunes characters like Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck in NBA team jerseys.

“Looney Tunes Active! has been widely successful in communicating the importance of living an active lifestyle to children,” said Pilar Zulueta, executive vice president and general manager of WBCP EMEA.

“The partnership with the NBA provides us with direct access to a vast new audience and an opportunity to leverage our iconic Looney Tunes characters to promote the importance of living an active lifestyle through basketball.

"‘Cool Characters, Hot Hoops’ is a fun, interactive initiative, and the partnership with the NBA, one of the most respected sports brands in the world, can only serve to drive Looney Tunes Active! to even greater heights.”

The partnership was announced at Brand Licensing Europe 2013, in the presence of Warner Bros.’ characters Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, and NBA Legend Gary Payton (see above)

“This multi-faceted partnership with Warner Bros. Consumer Products is an ideal brand-match for the NBA and through the association with the globally recognized Looney Tunes characters, will help grow participation in a fun way while promoting the benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle through basketball.”

The partnership will also result in Looney Tunes Active! and Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA co-branded basketball clinics appearing at select NBA events across Europe.

These clinics will give children the chance to meet NBA personalities and the Looney Tunes characters, as well as play basketball and learn the fundamentals of the sport via instructional vignettes featuring Looney Tunes characters.